The Press., 1887-10-20
Letter from Iowa.

Letter from Iowa.
 It was my pleasure, yesterday, to see and listen to our governor, as he set forth the duties of citizens in relation to public affairs. Gov. Larrabee is very ordinary looking sort of man. He is rather short and not very thick-set. He would show a good face if he had not lost an eye. He is no orator, and does not lay claim to the persuasive art. Yesterday he disclaimed all intention of making a speech He just simply wanted to talk 10 us, and at once set about 1t, and kept at it two hours. It was talk, simple, common sense, earnest and sincere. The farmers came in in large numbers from the surrounding country to see and hear a man of themselves, "a man who looks, acts, and talks more like an in- telligent farmer than any man I ever heard in public life. He is d man, too, who is at the head of one of the best gov erned states in this union; and is himself so administering affairs that the state will go forward under his rule. Gov. Lara bee IS 8 good and safe man, and the people believe in him.
 I shall not report his speech, or talk, but simply say he treated both national and state affairs, dwelling particularly up on tariff, transportation and prohibition. The interests he advocated, he told us, were the boon to all men, no matter what their politics. All should come to see them alike. It made a vast difference what policies prevailed in the land, wheth- CT those that have been distinctly demo- cratic or republican. The governor be- lieves in the tariff, and in the regulation of railroad traffic, so that the producer shall have more revenue than he now gets when he has placed his goods on the mark ct. In this line he is doing much for the farmer, and can do still more for him if he is reelected, as he is sure to be. On the | liquor question he is in favor of the pres ent prohibitory laws, and he gives strong reasons for his faith.
 | In the present canvass, and for some time previous, the democrats are opposed to the laws that are now being enforced
 It is lamentable fact and we simply state 1t as fact, not to be partisan or unkind at all, the democratic party, as a whole, is op- posed to our present laws, and has done very much to make them imperative. It fights the enforcement of the laws on all occasions. In those districts where the judges are of that party the greatest diff culty is met with in bringing viOlators to justice. In those districts you will find the open saloon, if anywhere. If this class of our people would interest themselves as much iA sustaining the laws, as others of our people, no law that we have for the l public good would be better observed, and | there would not be much trouble about it either.
 A piece of business that is to be despised by every fair minded man and lover of this state is the attempt of certain parties in Des Moines to make it appear that many people and much business in that city have been driven out, and away, by the enforcement of the prohibitory laws, and that none have come in to take their places or to revive the business by other trades. The assertion is made over and over that Des Moines is 8 dead city, and prohibition has killed it. The opposition in that city continually cry out in a way to turn men aside from it who would make investments in it. Now these are facts, men make we write. It is not true. how ever, that our capital city is dead, and has been dead all the summer. It is not true that she is ruined in her business. It is not true that good degree of prosperity has been kept from here this season. The reverse is true, and it will be shown ere long in shape to shame and confuse all liars
 Now it is true that prohibition is we'll enforced in Des Moines. It is true that much liquor trade has departed, taking those with it that were concerned in it. It is true that other business has come in, and more is likely to follow.
 Factories and workshops, and over eight hundred and fifty residences have been built this year. In the public schools there are over four hundred children more than ever were there before in one year, In the savings banks the deposits have in- creased over last year more than two hun dred thousand dollars. Surely these are not the signs of dead town.
 It is true that there are few among the republicans who will oppose prohibition this fall and strike for high license but the present legislature will be sustained, and strongly, too. This is our opinion. It will be defeated, however, if islanders and lies will do it, for there is no lack of them,
 We have had good fall of rain in the past two months. Vegetation started up wonderfully, and there has been a new growth of potatoes and vegetables. The pastures never looked better at this time in the year. The wells have been filling up, also, to the great relief of housekeepers and farmers. We are now having frosts about every night, and possibly the new growth of potatoes may not be able to ma- ture. o, P. CHAMPLIN. Corning, la, Oct. Il, 1887.